New research indicates that the battle for literacy in Central Visayas is not being lost in schools, but is failing much earlier—in homes that lack the basic tools needed for a child's brain to develop properly. While national debates frequently center on teacher numbers and curriculum updates, hard data now shows children are falling behind years before they set foot in a kindergarten classroom.
National Data Points to a Local Crisis in Central Visayas
A critical section of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) Final Report, made public on Thursday, January 15, 2026, paints a concerning picture at the household level. The findings show that a minority of Filipino families with very young children possess essential learning materials. Specifically, the report states that only 48 percent of households have educational toys, and a mere 40 percent have children's books available for kids aged zero to four.
To understand how these alarming national statistics reflect the situation in Central Visayas, SunStar Cebu contacted Department of Education 7 Director Salustiano Jimenez on Monday, January 19. As of the time of reporting, Director Jimenez has not provided a response or region-specific data.
Systemic Gaps in Early Childhood Support
The Edcom 2 analysis identifies a profound systemic failure in supporting a child's first 1,000 days, a period scientists consider crucial for cognitive development. A major infrastructure shortfall exists across the Philippines, with over 4,600 barangays lacking a fully operational Child Development Center (CDC), even though laws require every community to have one. This gap forces local government units (LGUs) across Central Visayas to scramble for solutions.
Furthermore, the quality of existing centers is highly uneven. On a national scale, just 14.2 percent of CDCs have been improved in the last ten years to meet modern standards. Consequently, many facilities operate without safe, suitable, or age-appropriate learning resources for the children they serve.
Funding Disparities Deepen the Educational Divide
The quality of a child's earliest learning experiences is often dictated by the financial capacity of their local municipality. The Edcom 2 report underscores a stark contrast in local government spending. Wealthier LGUs can invest hundreds of thousands of pesos into early learning programs, while some lower-income municipalities allocate as little as P1,900 per center annually. This meager sum is hardly enough to replenish basic play materials, cementing a significant disadvantage for children in geographically isolated and impoverished areas of the region.
Why the First 1,000 Days Are Critical
The implications touch the very foundation of the region's future. Children from birth to age two receive the least support across both home and community programs, as most resources are tailored for older preschoolers. Without access to books, stimulating toys, and guided interaction from caregivers, young minds miss vital neural stimulation. This early deficit leads to gaps in foundational literacy, numeracy, and self-regulation skills that become exceedingly difficult to remedy once formal schooling begins.
Dr. Karol Mark Yee, the executive director of Edcom II, labeled the situation a silent crisis. He emphasized that the fact that fewer than half of households have basic early learning tools shows how disadvantage is established from the very start. The commission also pointed to a damaging misconception: surveys found that 97 percent of parents believe children under five are too young to learn, a view that likely suppresses enrollment in early childhood programs across the Visayas.
The Path Forward for Central Visayas
The full scope of the education crisis will be laid out when Edcom 2 releases its complete Final Report on January 26, 2026. This comprehensive document, which consolidates more than a hundred studies, is expected to form the basis for future policy reforms. On the local front, attention now turns to how regional DepEd officials and LGUs in Central Visayas will react to these findings. A key question remains whether specific data for provinces like Cebu and Bohol will be released to inform and drive targeted local interventions.
